Watch Bonnie McKee's "American Girl," a Celeb-Filled Bonanza

You may never have heard of Bonnie McKee, but you've definitely heard her. The singer-songwriter's songwriting touch has graced everything from tracks by Katy Perry and Ke$ha to Carly Rae Jepsen and Adam Lambert -- all who appear in the star-filled music video for her new single, "American Girl." Not to mention, there's also Jenny McCarthy, Joan Rivers, Kiss, and Jewel. Oh, and if you ever wanted to watch George Takei lip-synch to girly pop, he's in there, too.

The video boasts about 30 big names in the entertainment industry who all came together to support McKee, who actually released her debut album as a singer, Trouble, back in 2004. She didn't achieve mainstream success, but she did play a significant role in propelling Perry to superstardom as co-writer on some of Perry's biggest tracks. "American Girl" sounds like a Perry/Ke$ha mash-up, and though McKee's vocals aren't as instantly striking as the two bigger names, her song is addictive and will have you playing it on repeat.

Sure, there are nonsensical lyrics such as, "I was raised by a television / Every day is a competition / Put the key into my ignition," but the song will make you feel like you're listening to a remix of Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" and Ke$ha's "C'Mon" (both of which McKee co-wrote.) If you're a fan of either of those singers, you'll probably embrace McKee, too.

She created two videos for the song, the celeb-packed one where everyone in it lip syncs her lyrics, and the one starring McKee. McKee is a sexy 29-year-old who may have entered the game later than her peers in terms of being in front of the camera, but she fits in well. Her hair has flashes of bright red, orange, yellow, and pink in it, and she has fun, funky fashion that completes the fluffy, feel-good package.

If she's smart, she'll score an opening spot on a fellow female pop princess' upcoming tour. Whether she shows musical range beyond jovial poppy music will be left to be seen when her sophomore album comes out later this year.

Which version of "American Girl" do you like better? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Tags:

We Recommend

I wouldn't call those lyrics nonsensical at all. A bunch of us remember the worry of kids being "raised by a television" instead of their overworked parents. She seems to be jokingly proud of the caricature and that's what makes that phrase entertaining. "Every day is a competition" pretty much sums up the attitude of a lot of the girls I went to high school with and seem to be carried into the adulthood of many of them. "Put your key into my ignition" is fairly self-explanatory and, along with the other two phrases, fits into the irreverent & self-deprecating yet proud theme of, "I'm an American Girl, hot blooded and I'm ready to go".

She takes the caricatures, embraces them in a joking yet in-your-face way, and turns them into an anthem which many Americans like myself enjoy and, by the airplay it gets in my part of Germany, it seems to be enjoyed not only by us.